Thursday, July 30, 2009

...ON Sunday..... Lissette and I were the decorations committee for our annual JCRMA (resident's wives club) new member brunch. I had a GREAT time decorating and hanging out with everybody!

before...

after...

Welcome Bags that we made for the new members

The planning committee:

me, Katie, Areta, Leah, Elizabeth, and Lissette

onto another topic....

Could my "purple" thumb be turning............."green"??I dunno....we shall see........ ....if these plants stay alive....then maybe we will have hope! :)Tuesday....Ale' and I went to eat at SUMO! Ale' was my student teacher last year. I really miss seeing her daily and all of our talks. It was wonderful to see her and sit and chat the other day! On Monday (yes...I am going backwards in the week)....I hung out with these two cool little people!I am sure you have heard of Caroline already on this blog....I taught her in Kindergarten....I can't believe she is going into 2nd grade this year! wow! time flies when you are having fun! I babysat Caroline and her little brother Trevor on Monday morning and had a BLAST!

TODAY....

I am relaxing....getting pumped up to start on my classroom this weekend...and finishing a few monogramming orders!

If you are a teacher....when are you starting back? are you doing anything different to your classroom this year? Anybody have good ideas for making EASY curtains for the classroom?

Nicci and Natalee came through Bham on their way back home to Memphis from the beach! Oh how I miss my time with old friends. I forget how hard I laugh when Nicci is in the room. Can we just go back to that couch in Shiloh (my old college house)...just for ONE more day! :) GREAT memories...and many more in the making! We caught a few pics outside of Zoe's...it was a very short visit...much needed....and I wish it would have been longer! :)

me and Nicci

This is Natalee...her twin brother Nick is also a good friend of mine! He just finished his masters of law and is heading back to Memphis! ahhh home sweet home!

Girls Night Out:

Last night, we had a BIG crew of girls go out for mexican at Cocina Superior! It was yummy and, of course, the company was excellent!!! I love these girls and I am so grateful for the lifelong friendships that have been formed during our short time here in Bham! BIG crew huh?? ha

just wanted to put up a picture of my new little plant outside! I am so proud of it! I am not a big horticulturalist...but I am learning! I love the bright green sweet potato vine... does anybody have any other suggestions for potted plants???

verse for today:

1 Thessalonians 5:18

~give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ for YOU.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Also....my BEST friend Nicci is coming by to see me for a few minutes today on her way back to Memphis from the beach! I am OH SO EXCITED to see her if only for a few minutes! I miss her and the rest of the "monkeys" oh so much!!!!

I am going to girl's night out tonight at one of my fave mexican spots: Cocina Superior! I'll post some pics later on! :)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

one picture added :)...I was awful about carrying my camera around with me this weekend! We had a GREAT weekend with friends and Cal and I spent a lot of time relaxing! The end of our "stay-cation" was on Sunday. We had such a great time all week long...we sat by the pool most every day and went to eat at yummy restaurants every night! It really did feel like a vacation! We ended the week with some time with great friends.On Friday night, we went over to Brynnen's apartment and just sat around and talked for literally hours! We always just love our time with Adam and Brynnen! Man...I wish I had my camera with me that night...fun times!On Saturday, we went over to Sarah Flannagan's for a pool party with a lot of great friends and LOTS of babies! Cal and all of the boys grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs, and everyone just relaxed around the pool! Saturday night, we went over to Brynnen's friends' house for a cookout. Elizabeth Anne and her husband Steve were both SUCH amazing cooks and hosts! We had grilled grit cakes(to die for), fish, chicken, green bean bundles, and Brynnen made a YUMMY salad (I need the recipe..by the way)! It was all WAY too yummy!!!Cal started back to work on Sunday...so no more "stay-cation". boo! We are still getting to spend a lot of time together since he gets home early (sort of) and I don't have work...yet! School is starting back in 3 weeks...so I have a lot to do in the next couple of weeks!I've got to be better about taking my camera with me everywhere! I hate pictureless posts!ha!

I will end with a verse that really touched me this morning during my devotion time. I am always struggling with how people perceive me as a person. I have always struggled with that. I read this quote this morning and it really hit home, I just had to share:"Find FREEDOM through seeking to please God above all else. You can have only one Master. When you let others' expectations drive you, you scatter your energy to the winds. Your own desire to look good can also drain your energy."Mathew 6:1 says: "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven."I think it is always so important to remember who we are here on earth to please...it most certainly isn't man!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

yes, i have been a bad bad blogger lately! Lots going on around the Laney house lately and not a lot of computer time!A month in review:

Jazz on the Porch:

A jazz band plays at an old antebellum home and traditional southern cuisine tapas were served. It was really fun, and of course, there was good company!

4th of July:

This was our last 4th of July at our little "house on the hill" that overlooks downtown Bham. We can see the Vulcan fireworks from our backyard!Areta and AllenAmanda and Majure Adam and Brynnen Everyone before the fireworksgood ole all-American 4th of July BBQ :)SUMO girls night out:OH...and this picture has been in my camera for a while...but I just had to post it. This is a pic of all of the AMAZING girls on my Kindergarten team. I do not know what I would do without them. I know we have found lifelong friends in each other! This pic was taken in May at Katie's wedding (Katie was on our team a year ago...before she had to go off and get married and move to North Caroline ha) Cal and I are enjoying our "Stay-cation" this week! Cal is having his vacation week this week and we are LOVING it! We have been getting up whenever we want, having coffee until noon, sitting and talking on the porch for hours and just enjoying each other's company!I promise I will be a better blogger from this point on! :)

Monday, July 6, 2009

Just wanted to share with you the a few pictures of the cutest little boys in the world...Cadyn and Collier. They are my brother's boys and live in KY. I'm excited that I get to be a LITTLE closer to them next summer when we move to Lexingon! I made these little 4th of July shirts for them and I was happy with how they turned out...and aren't they the best little models!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

I love summer, but I don't love that I am teaching summer school every morning! I am really enjoying the children, but I am ready to have a few days to sleep in before the madness of the beginning of the school year kicks in.

Cal is now officially a 3rd year resident and is starting a new rotation today that will have him up and out of the house at 7:30 each morning with me. I have had a hard time getting up to leave while Cal slept in during my summer "break". ha!

I have been doing monogramming projects everyday for the past week...and now I think I am caught up...well I think I am...I JUST had a lady walk in my classroom and order 5 aprons as I was typing.

I am heading to the POOL this afternoon!!! All I want to see is THIS

ALL afternoon....well....minus the ocean in the backgroud, but I could always pretend! right? ha!